Nigeria: Same sex marriage may result in 3 year jail term

29 Sep 2011

Persons who engage in same sex marriage in Nigeria risk three years in jail, under a bill currently being considered by the country's upper legislative chamber, the Senate. Also, any person or group of persons who witnesses, abets and aids the solemnisation of a same sex marriage faces five years imprisonment or a fine of 50,000 naira (US$300).

The punishments are contained in a bill for an act to prohibit marriage of persons of same sex and solemnization of same and other related matters, sponsored by 14 Senators, the local press reported Wednesday.

In his lead debate, Sen. Domingo Obende observed that same-sex marriage cannot be allowed on both moral and religious grounds.

"Even the Muslim religion forbids it, Christianity forbids it and the African traditional religion forbids it," he said.

Another supporter of the bill, Senator Victor Lar, noted that from the religious point of view, same-sex marriage was ungodly and satanic and desecrates the institution of marriage as ordained by God.

He said the whole essence of marriage as ordained by God was for procreation.

(via Afrique en Ligne)